Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Annotation:
After
tragedy strikes, seventeen-year-old Rosa Alcantara leaves her home in New York
City and moves to Sicily to live with her aunt and sister. The Alcantaras are
one of the most powerful Mafia families in Italy, and Rosa doesn’t know what to
expect by moving to Palazzo Alcantara. When she happens to meet Alessandro
Carnevare, the heir to a rival family, however, the quiet life she was hoping
to begin in Sicily is turned upside down.

Personal
thoughts: This was one of those books that really left me stumped on what
to expect. I knew it was about the Mafia, I had a pretty good guess that it had
to do with shapeshifting of some kind, and I knew it was by a German author. What
I didn’t know, and was pleasantly surprised to find out, was that it was one of
the most unique books I’ve read for the young adult audience this year. The
Mafia isn’t something you find too often in books for teens, and I really
enjoyed the way the author dove headfirst into creating a very Godfather-­y tale. The mythological and
paranormal aspects of the story kind of took a backseat for me as I was reading
the book, but I am hoping they will be expanded upon in the second and third
installments because I think they hold loads of potential. One minor (and
annoying) detail that I felt compelled to mention, was the frequent use of the
word “supple” in the novel. I don’t have a problem with this word and maybe it
had something to do with the book being translated from German to English, but
it seemed like everything in the novel was “supple.” A little strange. There is
also a decent amount of swearing, violence and gore in the book, which would
make it hard for me to recommend to middle school-ers. For older teens,
however, I would definitely suggest Arcadia
Awakens as a unique and enjoyable read, chock full of romance and
adventure.

Plot summary:
Life
for seventeen-year-old Rosa Alcantara has never been simple. Part of one of the
most powerful Mafia families in Italy, Rosa’s parents moved her and her sister
Zoe to New York City to escape the crime and murder that is part of everyday
life for the Alcantaras. After tragedy strikes, however, Rosa decides to move
to Sicily, and join Zoe, who already left New York to live with Florinda in the
Palazzo Alcantara. As head of the Alcantaras, Florinda is far from warm and
fuzzy, but Rosa hopes that a new life in Sicily will be what she needs.
Everything changes, however, when Rosa happens to meet handsome and charming
Alessandro Carnevare. As the son and heir of the Carnevare family, Alessandro
is an enemy of Rosa’s, but the two are instantly attracted to one another.
Alessandro’s father has recently died, and he is set to become the next head of
the Carnevare family. Alessandro informs Rosa, however, that he believes his
father’s advisor and right-hand-man, Cesare , wants to overthrow him and
becoming the new leader of the Carnevares. Rosa wants to help Alessandro, much
to the distress of Florinda and Zoe who don’t want her anywhere near members of
a rival family. Things are further complicated when, one evening, Rosa
encounters a massive, powerful tiger in the forest surrounding the Palazzo, a
tiger with very human-like eyes who seems to know who she is.

Review: Originally
published in Germany, this novel from renowned author Kai Meyer is the first installment
in the Arcadia Awakens trilogy. Part Godfather part paranormal romance, Arcadia Awakens is a truly unique book
for teens. While there are paranormal elements to the story, the bulk of the
novel is made up of the conflict between the Alcantaras and Carnevares, two
rival Mafia families and members of Cosa Nostra. Readers who are unfamiliar
with the Mafia might be slightly confused by many of the terms and references,
although the novel could be incentive to learn more about one of pop culture’s
most commonly depicted organized crime groups. For those who aren’t as
interested in the Mafia aspects of the story, the very Romeo and Juliet romance
between Rosa and Alessandro, as well as the paranormal elements, will be
intriguing enough on their own. The author does a good job of creating a story
that appeals to a broad audience, and one that definitely has enough potential
to warrant a trilogy. The second book in the trilogy, Arcadia Burns, has been released in Germany and will be released in
the United States in the near future.

Genre: Science-Fiction

Reading
level: Grade 9+

Similar
titles: Tiger’s
Curse series by Colleen Houck, Sweet
Venom by Tera Lynn Childs, Starcrossed
series by Josephine Angelini.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Annotation:
After
Anna sacrificed herself to save him and his friends, everyone in Cas’ life
seems to think it’s best that he just forget the girl who used to be the
vicious ghost known as Anna Dressed in Blood. Cas is convinced, however, that
Anna is trapped in Hell, and once he begins having nightmarish visions of Anna
being tortured, he knows that he must join her to set her free.

Personal
thoughts:Anna Dressed in Blood was
one of my favorite books of 2011 and something I like to recommend to teens who
are interested in a good, scary story. I was eagerly anticipating the release
of Girl of Nightmares, but was also a
little nervous because I have read a few sequels this year that didn’t impress
me. Thankfully, Kendare Blake delivered and managed to create a story that,
while different from the first, was just as enjoyable! I was very intrigued by
Anna’s disappearance, Cas’ uber-creepy visions of her in various stages of torture,
and the history and secrets behind Cas’ weapon, the athame. I also was really
happy with the the relationship between Cas, Thomas and Carmel, and like that
the author doesn’t skim over the support characters but takes the time to let
the reader get to know them as well. I haven’t seen anything as far as an
announcement about a third Anna novel,
but I hope that Kendare Blake decides to keep the story going!

Plot
summary: Six months have passed since Anna sacrificed herself to save Cas
and his friends, Thomas and Carmel, from the Obeahman: the evil ghost who
killed Cas’ father and nearly ended his life as well. Cas doesn’t know where
Anna went; where does a ghost go when it dies? Everyone in his life seems to
think that he needs to forget Anna. Cas is convinced, however, that Anna is
trapped in Hell. When he begins having nightmarish visions of Anna being
tortured, he knows in his heart that his suspicions were correct. Determined to
find a way to bring Anna back, Cas begins to investigate the origins of his
athame: the knife that he, his father before him, and so on have used for
centuries to kill vengeful spirits. Unsure of how a living person can cross
into Hell without first dying, Cas soon learns that the answers he’s seeking
might lie in the very tool he uses to send ghosts on to the afterlife. But how
far is Cas willing to go to save the girl who saved his life and with whom he
has fallen in love?

Review: Kendare
Blake continues her sharp and scary series with Girl of Nightmares, the sequel to the 2011 best-selling novel, Anna Dressed in Blood. Oftentimes, books
that achieve a lot of success lose steam in the stories that follow.
Fortunately, Blake manages to maintain the creepy vibe of her first novel in
the sequel, delivering a story that is just as gruesome, scary, and exciting as
its predecessor. One of the most interesting parts of both Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl
of Nightmares is acid-tongued but courageous Cas and his best friends, Thomas
and Carmel. The trio’s relationship was well-established in the first novel,
and their dynamic is the majority of the reason why the second book is as
enjoyable as it is. The reader feels like they know the characters, they care
about their fates and wonder how they are going to survive going through,
literally, hell and back. Anna is only a very minor character in this novel,
mostly appearing in Cas’ horrifying visions of death and torture. Blake
certainly has an eye for creating scenes of horror, and non-squeamish readers
will get a good squirm from all of the scenes of terror. As with the first
novel, teachers, parents and librarians should be aware that this book is
definitely for an older teen audience. There is quite a bit of swearing and a
great deal of gore. For readers who are mature enough to venture into Hell with
Cas, however, this series is quite a ride.

Genre: Horror

Reading
level: Grade 10+

Similar
titles: Anna
Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Hereafter series by Tara Hudson, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, Falling
Under series by Gwen Hayes, Lightbringer
by K.D. McEntire, Soul Screamer series
by Rachel Vincent, On the Fringe by
Courtney King Walker, Wake Unto Me by
Lisa Cach.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Annotation:
In
1912 Portland, Oregon, sixteen-year-old Miriam Josefsohn wants nothing more
than to become a businesswoman and help the women’s suffrage movement, both
things her strict father would never dream of allowing her to do. Everything
changes, however, when Miriam’s uncle gives her a family heirloom: a prayer
shawl with a single blue thread that has the power to transport Miriam
thousands of years in the past to the time of Moses.

Personal
thoughts: I hadn’t heard much of anything about this novel prior to picking
it up, but as a Portland, Oregon native I wanted to give it a try. Fortunately
it is one of those gems that somehow always seem to get lost in the sea of
young adult literature. Obviously, I really liked this novel pretty much from
start to finish. It is well-written and not overly wordy or dramatic. Miriam is
really likable and I found myself cheering her on as she struggled to stand up
for herself against her misogynistic father. I also loved reading about
turn-of-the-century Portland and learned a lot about the women’s suffrage
movement and the Daughters of Zelophehad. I think that Blue Thread could easily have a place in the classroom, especially
as a novel that enhances education about a certain time in history, or simply
as a good book for both teens and adults to enjoy.

Plot
summary: Being a well-to-do girl in 1912 Portland, Oregon doesn’t give sixteen-year-old
Miriam Josefsohn the freedom to choose what kind of life she leads. Her strict
German-born father insists that Miriam be a proper young lady, which means that
she will never be able to work a job, cannot get involved in politics like the
women’s suffrage movement, and needs to focus on what’s important: getting
married to a wealthy Jewish man. The problem is that Miriam wants nothing to do
with marriage, and wishes she could become a businesswoman and suffragette.
Everything changes, however, when Miriam meets Serakh, a girl her age with
bronze skin and a long white braid who asks her about a prayer shawl with a
single blue thread. Miriam has never seen such a prayer shawl, but is shocked a
few days later when her uncle gives her a family heirloom he has been keeping
for her: her great-grandmother’s prayer shawl with a single blue thread. When
Serakh returns, she informs Miriam that the shawl has the power to transport
Miriam thousands of years in the past to the time of the Daughters of
Zelophehad: five sisters in biblical times who sought the right to inherit
their father’s lands. Miriam learns that the daughters need her help in their
struggle for justice, and that their plight might influence her own generations
later.

Review: History
author Ruth Tenzer Feldman demonstrates her prowess at creating enjoyable,
thoughtful works of fiction with Blue
Thread. Combining historical fiction, fantasy, and Jewish fiction, Feldman
weaves a tale that both educates and entertains readers who are interested in
experiencing something less fluffy and melodramatic as other novels for teens.
The most successful part of Blue Thread
is, without-a-doubt, the protagonist, Miriam. The character is well-written to
the point that by the end of the novel, the reader feels like she is a
long-lost friend. Although she lives 100 years ago, modern teens will find much
to identify with in Miriam’s struggle to prove to her parents that she is
capable and independent. Miriam evolves throughout the story, learning from her
travels to the past, and ending her journey on a very exciting note. The time
travel aspect of the novel is interesting and adds a level of fantasy to the
book, but more important is Miriam’s efforts to champion women’s rights in
general. The author does an excellent job of intertwining the fantasy and
historical fiction components of the story, but the novel is primarily a
coming-of-age story about a really likable and admirable young woman.

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Reading
level: Grade 7+

Similar
titles: Cleopatra’s
Moon by Vicky Alvear, The Red
Tent by Anita Diamant, Darker Still:
A Novel of Magic Most Foul by Leanna Renee Hieber.

-
Why do you think Miriam’s father was so
strict? Do you think that his beliefs were normal for the time period?

-
Explain why Miriam’s father was so opposed to
her having the prayer shawl. Did his attitude change in the novel?- What was the significance of Baloo in the events of the story?-
How did Miriam help Tirtzah and her sisters
fight for justice? How did they help her?

-
If you lived in 1912, do you think you would
have been like Miriam and fought for women’s right to vote? Why or why not?

-
Describe how Miriam is similar to a
sixteen-year-old girl in 2012. How is she different?

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Annotation:
After
Theia Alderson made a deal with demon queen Mara in Under, she returns to the
world of the living, half-human, half-demon like her boyfriend, Mara’s son,
Haden. Unsure about her new powers, Theia struggles to get back to her normal
life of high school and hanging out with her friends, Donny and Amelia. When
students at her school begin to mysteriously fall ill, however, Theia worries
that she brought something sinister back with her on her return from Under.

Personal
thoughts:Falling Under was
easily one of my favorite novels of 2011, so I was really excited to finally
pick up the sequel. Although some of the elements of the first book that I
loved so much were still there (Theia’s journeys to Under in her dreams, Haden’s
charm, etc.), I wasn’t nearly as into the story as I was in Falling Under. There was too much fluff
in the first half of the novel, leaving the action that occurred at the end
feeling rushed and unsatisfying. I also felt that the author opened many doors
in Dreaming Awake, but didn’t ever
close them. I hope that she does write a third novel that can return the story
to the level of originality and intrigue that was the first book. If she doesn’t
then I think a series that had loads of potential would be squandered.

Plot
summary: After Theia Alderson made a deal with demon queen Mara to protect
Haden, Mara’s son and Theia’s boyfriend, she thought she would be stuck living
in the beautiful but deadly world of Under for eternity. Thanks to her friends
Donny, Amelia and Varnie, however, a summoning spell returns Theia to the world
of the living. Reunited with Haden and her father, who thinks she ran away,
Theia must now return to her normal high school routine while coping with the
fact that she is now half-human, half-demon like Haden. Strange things start occurring
in the weeks following Theia’s return from Under, however. Students at her high
school begin to fall ill, she is plagued by dreams of a darkly beautiful garden
next to a black, slow-moving river, and she can’t seem to shake the feeling
that Mara is trying everything in her power to return her and Haden to Under.
Will Theia have to choose between saving her friends and family or leaving them
forever to spend an eternity as Mara’s servant in a land of skeletons, blood and
nightmares?

Review: Following
up her creative and riveting novel, Falling
Under, Gwen Hayes continues her paranormal romance series for young adults
with Dreaming Awake. The story picks
up right where the first book left off, with Theia returning from several
months in Under to a life on the surface that is different from the one she
left behind. The same cast of characters are back: Theia’s wise-cracking but
caring friends, Donny and Amelia, sweet, cross-dressing medium, Varnie, and
Theia’s darkly handsome boyfriend (and reason for the events of the first novel
to have taken place), Haden. What hasn’t returned for the sequel, however, is
the captivating story that was Falling
Under. Theia spends the majority of the sequel soul-searching (both
figuratively and literally), trying to determine the nature of her new “demon
blood” and wondering if she and Haden’s relationship will really work out. The
mystery surrounding Haden himself is gone, replaced instead by a somewhat
controlling, jealous boyfriend who can’t imagine why Theia has doubts about
their amour. Mara, Haden’s demon mother, is arguably the most interesting part
of the book. Icily beautiful and completely evil, she wants nothing more than
to seek revenge on Theia for betraying her and leaving Under. The book ends
with everything resolved more or less, but still open for another novel, which
the author says may or may not be published. Fans of the wonderful Falling Under will likely want to read
this novel, but not many will enjoy it with as much fervor as its predecessor.

Genre: Fiction/Romance

Reading
level: Grade 8+

Similar
titles: Falling
Under by Gwen Hayes, The Soul
Screamers by Rachel Vincent, Misfit by
Jon Skovron, Shattered Souls by Mary
Lindsey, The Space Between by Brenna
Yovanoff, Everneath by Brodi Ashton.

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About Me

Welcome to my blog! I'm a librarian who loves to read...unusual, right? This blog contains my reviews and thoughts about the books I read, and other information for tweens, teens, parents, teachers, librarians and anyone else who loves books. Enjoy!